


Have You Checked The Children?

by ThatHCWriter



Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Intense, Investigations, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Multi, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranoia, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23929207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: There was only one day, all year, that Clint Barton, Tony Stark and Scott Lang were all at the Avenger’s upstate compound simultaneously. There was only one day that Pepper, Hope and Laura were all taking care of the kids alone simultaneously. There was only one day that something like this could have happened, and that should have been a hint to the Avengers. They were prepared for intergalactic threats of massive magnitude,  so nothing should be able to blindside them. But then again, how would they know? How would they know that someone would take advantage of this opportunity? How would they know that a threat much closer to home than they could ever imagine, would pounce when they weren’t expecting it?
Relationships: Cassie Lang & Scott Lang, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & May Parker, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne
Comments: 61
Kudos: 49





	1. The Calls

**Author's Note:**

> Title from when a stranger calls.

Tony’s cell rang first. He picked it up, seeing it was Pepper and hoping for one of her near daily “I cannot believe how much our child is a minature you” stories. He realized quickly that is not what he would get. “Where the hell is Morgan,” Pepper hissed, emotion breaking through the back of her voice. Tony’s heart stopped, only able to form a grunted gasp in response. “I said, where is our daughter?”

“What happened Pep, talk to me.” 

“I don't.. I don't know, I was jus.. Just sitting on the couch and I felt something pinch my neck and before I could even look I… I blacked out,” Pepper took a harsh, watery breath and continued “She was gone when I woke up, Tony I…” Tony gently hushed her, amazed and terrified by the cracks in this ridiculously strong woman. 

“Come to the compound. We’ll figure this out. Plus, we’ve got help here.” Pepper agreed and hung up, Tony feeling tears begin to rise from his throat as he began pacing. Clint began to ask him what had been said, but was cut off by his own cell ringing, Laura popping up on the caller ID.

“Clint I don't… I just… I can’t… Oh god..” Laura was speaking almost too fast for Clint to understand, so he tried to calm her down the best he could. Just hearing what he could of the conversation caused Tony to freeze dead in his tracks, the magnitude of what was happening here hitting him, and hard. Clint was focused on the phone though, trying to talk Laura down. 

“Babe, just tell me what happened, it’s gonna be okay. Just go slow.” Clint made a valiant effort to soothe her, but her breathing was still ragged and her voice was still frantic. 

“The kids.” Just saying it forced a sob out of Laura “I don't know where they are. I was just getting some food for Lucky, and I passed out, and I.. God.” She trailed off into more tears. Clint looked to Tony, who immediately lowered his head, letting a few tears fall. Scott, who was watching in fear as this all went down, felt his stomach drop as he pulled out his phone and filed through his contacts until he hit Cassie’s name. Before he could press call, he had an incoming call from Hope, and his heart sank. As Clint continued to try and calm Laura, and Tony fielded an incoming call from May Parker, Scott brought the phone to his ear, hand trembling violently. 

“I’ve looked everywhere Scott. Cassie, she um..” Bile rose to the back of Scott’s throat, “I’m so sorry Scott,” They both started to cry after that, the reality crushing Scott like the bugs he rode on. 

“Just come to the compound, we’ll need you.” Scott breathed a bit, “I need you.” Hope nodded on the other side of the phone, and took off for upstate New York. As the three men’s phone conversations ended, they all looked to each other in shock and fear. “Is this what I think it is?” Scott asked, not daring to bring his voice above a whisper. All Clint and Tony could do was confirm the suspicions, and fight back more tears. 

“They took Peter too.” Tony deadpanned, eyeing the flip phone sitting on the coffee table and the pager lying adjacent to it. “Which means one thing. We’re getting them back.” He picked up the phone and dialed, activating the pager with his unoccupied hand. “We’re gonna need all the help we can get.” 

By the next day, Avenger’s headquarters was bustling. Hosts of ex-SHIELD personnel were compiling leads into a search plan, led by the much angrier than usual Natasha and, Sam, who led with the same ferocity, just slower. Others were busy on PR, trying desperately to cover this whole incident, and prevent public fear (which was a fear felt throughout the compound, _if this person can steal the Avenger’s own children, what else are they capable of? _) Wakandan War Dogs had been mobilized, heading to sketchy street corners the world over and combing for any bit of information about the kids they could come by. Steve, Bucky, and when the situation warranted it, Wanda spent their days busily busting every small arms dealer, would-be terrorist and neo Nazi sleeper cell hoping they might get lucky. Thor and Valkyrie were off-world, searching for a way to access Heimdall’s All-Sight. Carol (after taking a trip to go visit Monica, just to make sure they hadn’t got her too) payed several visits to hostile alien races, just to make sure that whatever happened to these kids wasn’t the start of something much bigger, slugging the guardians (with the exception of Mantis, who stayed for her emotional abilities) along with her for backup.__

__The room in the center of the compound, however, was deathly quiet. A few couches sat on each side of the room, one being occupied by each of the families. Pepper and Tony sat hand in hand, May Parker sitting near them and holding her head in her hands. Laura and Clint held each other gently, comforting each other in turn and keeping an eye on the screen where any news would pop up. Scott was folded over with his head in his hands, Hope running a hand down his back. They all shot up when Nick Fury sauntered into the room, his eyes cold and devoid of any hint of emotion. “We don’t have anything yet,” He whispered, pity lacing his voice, “For the moment, we can offer you all beds here, and we will wake you at any sign of them,” Nick turned his head up, eyes meeting Tony’s, “I really wish I had better news, honestly. But for now, I can tell you all to get some rest. I’m sorry.” Suddenly conscious of the time, somewhere around one AM, the three families retired to bed._ _

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

__Pepper and Tony laid together in perfect silence for a while, Pepper simply resting her head on his shoulder, and letting the rest of the world die out. Tony stared at the ceiling, a tactic he’d perfected in Afghanistan in order to focus his mind on something other than fear. He let pleasant memories take over, namely the way Morgan would smile when he would tell her stories about the Avengers, about Peter. His heart broke again at the name. Was it too much to hope that they were together? That Morgan would have one of her childhood heroes to keep her safe wherever she was? Tony hoped so, and that thought, the only real comfort he had at the moment, lulled him to sleep._ _

__Clint and Laura were much more talkative. It was mostly Laura, more accurately, peppering Clint with questions about his own time as a hostage. Clint tried his best to ease her worries, but the old memories she brought up made his own fear much, much worse. Natasha made her way into the room at some point, also receiving a slew of questions. She also grimaced at the memories, but managed to ease both Barton’s minds by bringing up one simple point, “They have each other, that counts for a lot,” she said, her voice effortlessly smooth, “It’s never good, but it’s not as bad when you have someone there with you. Someone you trust.” She squeezed Clint’s hand knowingly, who smiled at her gesture. With that, Natasha slinked out of the room, leaving the Barton’s with each other and herself with the leads. Those were her kids too, dammit, and she would stop at nothing to make sure they were safe. She owed it to them, and to Clint and Laura. If there was any time to wipe her ledger clean, to come out the hero for saving those kids, _her _kids, it was now_ _ __

__

__

__Scott could not stop thinking about one fact that rolled in his stomach. Sure, all of the kids were probably in danger, but they had someone they knew there. Not Cassie. She was alone, and coincidentally, so was he at the moment, with Hope on the frontlines that evening with Cap and Maggie and Paxton not only refusing to come, but taking every opportunity to remind Scott that what happened to Cassie was his fault. He knew she wouldn’t blame him, but he couldn’t help himself. Night fell on the compound, and not a soul slept._ _


	2. The Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets a phone call, and the first step toward answers lie on the other end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, but it’s gearing up for something big.

The next morning was more of the same. More searching, more planning, more comforting. Scott was still desperately trying to get through to Maggie, the Bartons were discussing every contingency, and Pepper was attempting to keep her husband out of his own head, and everyone else was still hard at work, turning over any stone that could lead to the kids. It was hectic, but it was the same as the day before. That is, until Tony’s phone rang. The caller was marked unknown, which usually would warrant him not answering, but Fury insisted he pick up the phone. Looking to the families around him, he answered and put the phone on speaker. The voice on the other end brought him to his knees.

“Daddy?” Morgan, sweet, perfect Morgan was on the other end, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Pepper and Tony crowded the phone, whispering soft comforts to her while trying to stay calm themselves. “I’m scared. He took Peter, and he hasn’t been back for a really long time. I don’t want him to get hurt.” Tony shook harder, glancing over to May, who looked distraught, but hardly surprised. Panic setting in, the SHIELD agents nearby began to trace the call as quickly as they could while comfort flooded in from the Starks and questions flooded in from elsewhere. 

“Is everyone else okay, Morgan?” Clint’s voice cut through the chaos, hand gripping Laura’s in preparation for the worst. Morgan caught her breath, sounding a little less scared than the beginning of the call. 

“Yeah. Everyone’s okay.” She said quietly, the Barton’s squeezing each other’s hands instinctively and Scott and Hope doing the same. Morgan’s parents continued to comfort her, encouraging her and telling her, definitively, that the Avengers were coming for them, and to spread the news to the others. She hung up suddenly, leaving Tony and Pepper to cry in baffled amazement, May simply sitting back in the chair, resigned fear evident in all of her features. Fury stormed into the room, flanked by armed agents and quickly displaying an address on the screen. 

“We traced the call” was all Fury had to say before he had a whole team suited up, and ready to take down whoever was responsible for this. Rogers, Danvers and Barnes were in from a recent mission, and there was no convincing necessary to get them on board, ready to punish this man and find the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s short, but there’s more to come. Thoughts? Predictions?


	3. The Rescue Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rescue attempt is made, and unfortunate news is learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, there’s a little bit of blood in this one, nothing too graphic, but be safe.

They came ready for a fight. They cleared the house tactically, moving from floor to floor until they hit the basement. Clint led the charge into the back storage room, breaking down the door when they discovered it to be locked. What he saw was not what he expected, and definitely not a fight. In the center of the room, surrounded by a pool of blood, were two boys, his boys. Cooper held a bloodied Nathan to his chest and whispered something to him quietly, not even noticing their apparent rescue and pulling him closer at the sound of the door falling open. Clint’s heart broke as he approached the boys, a faint “Coop” springing from his lips. Cooper looked up cautiously, his eyes vacant until he landed on his father. Clint bent down to rest a hand on Cooper’s cheek and swiped away a tear with his thumb, a touch which he leaned into, ever so slightly. 

“Talk to me buddy, hey.” He said kindly, focusing on Cooper, but beginning to address Nathan’s wounds. Cooper stared straight ahead, unflinching. It worried Clint, but he was more focused at the moment on Nathan’s bleeding. It was bad, coming apparently from his back and neck, his pulse slow, but apparent. Clint radioed for medical, trying and failing to keep his composure. He took himself away from the scene, letting the medics look at his kids, and immediately calling Laura. 

“Clint, how’d it go.” She said curtly, emotion leaking in through her voice more than she intended. 

“Cooper and Nathan,” He said, voice cracking, attention half on the two boys who were being loaded into an evac helicopter, Strange taking over their care and half on the call itself, “They were the only ones here.” He could hear Laura sigh deeply, in part of relief, but in part of worry.

“Oh god Clint, can I talk to them?” Laura’s voice was harsh and her breathing was ragged. 

Clint hung his head, and responded in a hushed tone “Babe…” Laura nearly  
Screamed, collapsing to the floor in dread. 

“Don’t tell me Clint. Please. They’re not..” 

“They’re alive honey. They’re just… They’re hurt. It’s not good.” Clint couldn’t stop himself from tearing up, barely noticing the stretchers dart past him. “Babe I have to go. It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay. I love you.” 

“Love you t..” Clint hung up before she finished, dashing to Cooper’s side and starting to comfort him the best he can. Cooper seemed to only barely notice his father, not even tightening his grip when Clint took his hand. 

“Fury, we’re inbound with Nathan and Cooper. None of the other ones were there. Not sure about the other guys, but that’s all we found.” Clint reported, focus not wavering from his son. He stepped into the helicopter next to Cooper, praying with everything he could for a sign that it all would be okay. 

\-----

“Fury, we’re inbound with Nathan and Cooper. None of the other ones were there. Not sure about the other guys, but that’s all we found.” The transmission rang out over the board room, sending shockwaves through the people listening. Fury hung his head, sighing deeply. Scott nearly collapsed into Hope’s side, tears of shock and grief clouding his vision. The room felt heavy, somber in a way that none of them could describe. 

But Tony Stark wasn’t fitting in to that feeling. He clutched Pepper’s hand, squeezing hard enough to bruise. He huffed, taking his glasses in his hand and approaching Fury slowly. 

“So what he’s telling me is that we’re being outsmarted.” Tony hissed, eyes still focused on the floor. 

“We’re trying to figure out how they got the intel, Stark. They had to know we were coming.” 

“Yeah, no shit. I sure hope you’re trying to find out because if what I think is happening is actually happening, we are so royally screwed we can’t even fathom it,”

“Stark..” 

“AND, we’re not gambling with the lives of soldiers, or even Avengers, agent, we’re gambling with the lives of kids, and we need to be certain. We need to be certain we can get them back because one more missed attempt could be one less person to bring home.” All of the agents in the room were staring now, frozen to watch the confrontation, which only seemed to enrage Tony more. “What are you all looking at? Did you not hear me? You all have jobs to do, go do them.” 

“Hey, Tony,” Pepper whispered, gently grabbing his shoulder, “Let’s go take a walk, huh?” He nodded, defeated, and followed his wife out the door. The tiff seemed to only upset Scott and May more, taking another moment of stunned silence before tearing up again, this time much harder. The fear was palpable in the room, everyone stalling in a state of shock and horror, one question bouncing through their minds. 

_What exactly are they up against? ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well. Another cliffhanger. 
> 
> Let me know what you’re thinking! I appreciate kudos so very much!


	4. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to get information from their new witness, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Please enjoy!

“We have to interview him. He’s the only lead we have right now.” 

“He just escaped from hell on earth, and you want to make him talk about it?” Clint was enraged at Fury’s proposition, keeping his voice down to prevent upsetting Laura. 

“Clint I know this is hard, but he’s the only chance we have. There’s nothing to go on yet, and we need to get something concrete if we want to find these kids.” Fury tried to stay calm and reasonable, but Clint quickly started pacing, and threw his head into his hands. After a long second of contemplation, Clint continued.

“Let me do it.” Fury raised his eyebrow. 

“I’m sorry?” 

“Let me talk to him. He’ll feel safer talking to me than some agent he doesn’t know. Can you at least do that for him?” Fury huffed, scratching his head. 

“I suppose. Just be thorough, Barton. I know you’ll want to be gentle but please try and get us something to work with.” Clint nodded obediently, pausing for a moment to duck back into Cooper’s hospital room. 

“Hey bud.” Clint gently took Cooper’s hand, rubbing small circles into it with his thumb. Cooper looked at his dad sadly, squeezing his hand weakly. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Cooper hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “Do you know where the other kids were taken?” Clint asked softly, continuing to hold the boy’s hand. 

Cooper shrank into the blankets, sheepishly shaking his head. Clint noticed he was shaking, so he rested a hand on his son’s back, hoping to support him. “Okay bud, that’s okay. Can you tell me anything about what they did to you and Nathan?” Clint asked apologetically, searching his son’s face for any hint of a response. 

Cooper’s eyes were vacant, unfocused as he drew a shaking breath. His pulse quickened under Clint’s fingers as he suddenly thrust himself into his father’s arms, clinging to him and crying. Clint moved a hand to the back of his head, carding fingers through his hair and whispering soothing words. 

“I..Caa.” Cooper’s voice was horribly hoarse, more than Clint had ever heard. 

“Shhh, you’re okay. You don’t need to talk. You’re safe.” Clint kept whispering to his son, ignoring the fear building in his chest. 

“Clint.” Natasha’s voice suddenly burst through the door, a remorseful smile crossing her face as she surveyed the scene she interrupted. “Sorry to cut in, but you need to see this.” Clint gently pulled his son out of his lap, leaving a kiss on his forehead as he left the room. 

“Did they find something?” Clint was quick to ask as they headed to the boardroom. 

“Yeah, but you’re not gonna like it.” Natasha stared ahead, speaking blankly.

“Nat, don’t tell me..” 

“They’re alive as far as we can tell. We might be in for a hell of a fight though.” They entered the boardroom as she finished, the same weary, cautious faces greeting them that they had seen since that fateful day. A new addition, Cap, stood at the head of the table at attention, eyes somber. 

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Rogers said darkly, opening a file sitting in front of him. Inside was a note on distressed paper. “My team found this during the first rescue. It’s uh, it’s something.” Fury took the paper from the captain, and began to read somberly. 

“Nice try, gentlemen. I applaud you for your detective work. I’ll do better at hiding them next time. And please, do forgive me. It was awfully lazy of me to leave them all in tact.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is with me and cliffhangers. I’m sorry. Ish.


	5. A Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cap and Fury discuss moving forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, writer's block was killing me, but here's a new chapter! It's a bit of a side story, we'll get back to the regularly scheduled dad-squad soon enough.

The next few seconds were some of the longest in Steve Rogers' life. The screams and cries of the families, horrified by the captor's words quickly left their mark in the captain's mind, the moment now frozen in his memory. A hand on his bicep snapped him out of it, causing his head to snap toward the source. Fury. Wordlessly, the agent tipped his head toward a nearby door, guiding the captain toward it with him. Steve moved in a daze, robotically following Fury out the door and into a small office. He sat in the desk chair, trying to take himself out of the sorrow in the other room and into reality. 

"Are you with me, Rogers?" Fury asked, leaning back in the chair behind the desk. Steve quickly nodded, breathing deeply and looking at the director. 

"Why did you pull me out of there?" Steve asked, drawing a long moment of silence between them. When Fury didn't respond, it clicked with Steve, "What do you have in mind?" Fury smirked ever so slightly, almost impressed by the captain. 

"You're a smart man, Rogers, what did you get from that?" Fury asked, raising his eyebrow. Steve sighed, defeated. 

"Well I know we're dealing with a class A sicko, and they're probably well-educated, based on the wording." Steve stated, matter-of-factly. Fury responded with a contrite, almost rude huff. 

"Of course this person's well educated. This person took the children of some of the most powerful, capable, and well known people on this whole damn planet and nobody has any damn clue who they are, where they are or what their endgame is." Fury's voice got louder and more intense as he went on, leaving the captain frozen and wordless. Fury huffed for a minute before standing and leaning over Steve. "We aren't just dealing with an everyday sicko, Rogers. An everyday sicko couldn't have dreamed of pulling something like this off. This.. this is something worse." 

"You think it's a group then? Could Hydra be involved?" Steve was listening intently now, Fury's words sending adrenaline pulsing through his veins. Fury thought for a moment, turning to the window.

"I don't think so." Fury's response confused the captain. "It's too personal. Hydra doesn't care about the Avengers as people it cares about the Avengers as an ideal. I've seen a lot of people get taken because of an ideal, and it's never this directed. It's never kids." Fury was pacing now, ideas clearly coming together in his head. 

"So we're looking for people who know them personally, maybe had a personal thing happen to them directly because of us?" Steve posed the idea to the director, getting up from his chair to approach him. Fury nodded at Steve, pulling open a cabinet to reveal a whiteboard. 

"Exactly. I'm going to have some agents start combing through databases, old Stark employees that left on bad terms, people Lang stole from, old contracts of Barton, and anybody else they can find that could be capable of doing this.." 

"What are we going to say to them?" Steve cut the director off, sympathy for the families etched into his face. Fury drew a deep breath. 

"Nothing." Fury deadpanned. 

"What? We have to.." 

"They probably already feel guilty enough, Rogers," Fury cut him off harshly, but kept his tone even, "They don't need to know that they might know the person behind this." Fury left the office quickly, leaving Steve unable to argue. He stared at the files still on the desk, that sickening note staring up at him mockingly. He glared at it longer, willing it to tell him more, give him another hint. He read it again and again, even though it sickened him, until a wave of an idea blew him over. 

Fury had said this was personal. It wasn't Loki's plot to take over the world, it wasn't Thanos with his apocalyptic ambition, it was personal. Personal like he'd never seen before. No, he had seen this before. It was personal; like Zemo. In a flash, he pressed his earpiece and started talking. 

"Don't forget to check the hospital records for New York 2012 and Sokovia 2015. Check Decimation records if you can." He got several confused responses, the loudest of which was Fury's. 

"What are you getting at Rogers?" 

"You said personal. That could be personal for some people. Think about it Fury. Somebody loses their kid in a fight, they take some of ours in return. It connects all of them too, explains why they didn't just take one." On the other end, Fury froze, slowly putting the pieces together. He nodded, comprehending the point, before he took action.

"Ladies and gentlemen you heard the captain! Those kids are counting on us, so you find every lead that you can!" Fury commanded his team, and as affirmatives began coming in, Fury's mind began to wander, hoping for everyone's sake that one of them would get lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I know this was more of a side story, but I hope it has you ready for more!


	6. A Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets a promising lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long wait, but here's more. No major notes here, just sit back and enjoy.

Every minute he spent in the board room, Tony Stark got more and more agitated. He felt useless, sheltered, like it was him who was being held prisoner. No, that wasn't it. When he was held prisoner, it was a business transaction, it wasn't about him personally, they just wanted a weapon. This cut deeper. This wasn't an attack on the Stark name, it was an attack on Tony Stark, and everyone that he held dear. 

And he couldn't. Do. Anything. He'd been grounded, forced to stay in this damned room all day every day, and for what? To protect him? He didn't need that, he didn't need protecting from whatever had his kids, he needed to find it and blow it to pieces. All of them would benefit from doing that, he thought, even May. 

Oh, May. He felt horrible for her, having to go through all of this without a partner, and without Peter. Knowing that Peter was almost certainly getting the brunt of it, refusing to let the others be hurt only made it worse for Tony, he couldn't even imagine what May was going through. They both knew how protective he was, how he cared so much about those kids, how he'd likely rather die than let anyone else, especially Morgan, get hurt. God, the thought that Peter might not be coming home from this, that he might _choose _not to come home from this because it'd be better than Morgan getting hurt, was too much for Tony to ponder.__

__He needed a minute. A part of him needed a drink._ _

__He took a step back from Pepper, leaning against the wall and breathing out harshly. "Fri?" He whispered to his AI under his breath, not drawing the attention of the others, "You think the old buccaneer babysitter would let me go driving with the top down?"_ _

__"Director Fury has expressed that he doesn't approve of you doing that, sir."_ _

__"Tell me, Fri, should I care?"_ _

__"You are by no means obliged to, sir, but might I suggest making it quick as to avoid a lecture from the director?"_ _

__"Yeah, yeah, you're probably right," Tony droned humorlessly as he left the room barely drawing the attention of anyone else in the room. He suited up as soon as it was safe and they were in a blind spot, quickly taking to the sky. It was beyond therapeutic for Tony, it was the most free he'd felt in weeks. For just a fleeting moment, he wasn't just a grieving father, an unfortunate victim._ _

__He was Iron Man. He was invincible._ _

__As he flew, Friday suddenly gave a harsh announcement. "Sir, you're going to want to hear this."_ _

__"What's so urget, Fri?"_ _

__"I've picked up a signal from Karen. Peter's suit is in range." Tony's heart dropped and soared, all at the same time._ _

__"Are you detecting any vital signs? Is it being worn?"_ _

__"It appears so, sir." Tony landed as fast as he could, sprinting back into the board room. This time, his entrance drew everyone's attention._ _

__"Friday picked up on the signal from Peter's suit. Says it's being worn too." Tony deadpanned, out of breath from the sprint and the excitement._ _

__"You're kidding," May almost screeched, tears welling up in her eyes._ _

__"It could be a trap," Hope pointed out, "Last time we found something like this, he said it was too easy, he wouldn't make a mistake like that again." She had a point, Tony figured, but at that minute, he didn't care. He was one step closer to getting his kids, both of them, back to safety._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, a lead! Is it real, is it not? What do you think? Thanks for reading!


	7. A Second Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another rescue effort is made, this time with much more.. fascinating results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! This one's intense. 
> 
> TW for vague depictions of injury in this chapter. Nothing too bad, but be safe.

They came in with a much more solid plan, hoping to get more from this rescue than they did from the first attempt. Rhodey, Tony, Sam and Hope made up the air team, who would trace the signal to a specific source. Then, if needed, there were two ground teams, which included most of the rest of the team, waiting to be called in to assist. The plan inspired a sense of confidence among the group that had been absent ever since the kidnappings, something that made the whole compound feel lighter. The Avengers, who represented hope to so many, now seemed to have hope for themselves once again, which was beyond refreshing for the agents. 

The air team took off first, led by Tony, or more accurately Friday, as she guided the suit to the source of the signal. They flew over Staten Island, keeping high in order to preserve some secrecy in this already very public mission. "Boss?" Friday piped up as Tony continued to fly to the signal. 

"Yeah, Fri?"

"The heartbeat from the suit is beginning to slow. I can't get in contact with the injury monitor systems, there might be a lot of damage. There's no way for me to know." Tony's heart sunk as he propelled himself faster toward the signal. 

"You can't reach the system at all? Or has it been damaged?" 

"If it's been damaged, it's been nearly destroyed. If not, it's been compromised purposefully." Tony sighed heavily, trying to ignore the fears that were eating at him as he grew even nearer to the signal. Finally, the signal was right below them, in an old office building in the outskirts of the city. Tony gave his team the signal, and they descended upon the building as covertly as they could manage. The other teams were at the ready, waiting to be called in if they got the okay. 

Hope found an unlocked door in the back, odd, she thought, considering the intelligence of the perpetrator. She made her way inside, signaling to the others of her move silently, as to not draw any unwanted attention to her position. She was confronted by a vast, dark, empty room, with no real features except for the few windows peppered throughout the wall and a fluorescent light coming from the floor below, which illuminated the only visible staircase. 

"Guys, there's a light coming from the bottom floor. Can't hear anything coming from down there, but I need to check it out," Hope reported, keeping her wits about her. 

"Go ahead," Sam swooped in through the opening she'd found and landed behind her, giving her a respectful nod, "I'll watch your six." She gave him a nod and started to descend, weapons at the ready in case she ran into a sticky situation. She made her way further down, moving tactically and scanning thoroughly, assuring she wouldn't miss anything important, until she finally reached the next floor down. 

That's when she saw it. A glass room in the center of the level, bathed in bright white light. It was empty, except for the very center of the room, where a figure was tied to a chair and slumped over. A figure wearing a red and black suit, which was torn, and caked in blood. 

"Peter?" Hope yelled, praying that the figure would respond, that it would give her at least some sign that it wasn't dead. The figure lurched upwards, whipping its head around to search for the source of the voice as it shivered violently. "It's me, it's Hope, can you tell me where you're hurt?" Hope moved quickly toward the box, radioing for backup as she began to analyze the box. 

The figure was only able to groan as she searched, and the more she stared at the person in the suit, the more she began to realize there was something off about the figure in the suit. It was to lean, the shape of their form wasn't right, the back of their head stuck out in a way that Peter's didn't. If this was indeed Peter, this was bad. Very bad. The more she thought about it though, the more she started to realize what she was really looking at. Oh. Oh god. 

"Cassie? Is that you?" Hope was grasping for straws, admittedly, but it seemed to work well enough. The person in the suit immediately started to pull on their restraints, nodding frantically. "Okay, it's okay. We're gonna get you home. Let me call your dad, okay?" Cassie started audibly crying at the mention of her father, as Hope rang him and continued to search for a way to release the poor girl. 

"What is it Hope?" 

"It's not Peter, it's Cassie," Hope almost blurted out as she found a key sitting on a desk. Scott responded to her, but she didn't pay attention. Next to the key, there was a note, just like the one they had been delivered earlier. Its script was much uglier this time, a contrast to the terrifyingly neat penmanship of the first letter, almost as if it was rushed. Almost as if it had been written spur of the moment, and very, very recently. 

'You're getting better at this, I'll admit, but I'm not done. I'll let you have this one as a reward, she's interesting, but she's getting in the way. See you soon.' Feeling a bit ill, Hope stuffed the not into her pocket, and grabbed the key, unlocking the door swiftly just as Scott grew to normal size at the bottom of the stairs. He froze, covering his mouth with his hand in shock. Hope proceeded closer to Cassie, not willing to waste any time as she untied the younger girl. Cassie practically fell into Hope's arms, quickly grasping at her suit and pushing her head into the Wasp's shoulder. Scott snapped into action then, taking his daughter from Hope gingerly, and starting to murmur comforts to her. It was a minute of painful, but relieved silence before Cassie spoke. 

Her voice was weak and hoarse, barely managing a whisper, but what she said stung harder than any yell. "Wasn't suppos'd to be me.. Tol' me he'd let her go.. Not me.. He lied, dad, he lied."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. What did he lie about? What do you think? I love hearing your thoughts!


	8. A Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie's finally free, and before anyone can celebrate, she has a story to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while, but here’s a new update! A lot goes down, plus a nice dollop of Lang family feels on the top.

Cassie was loaded in to a medical chopper with her father and Hope, who were both overwhelmed by relief and peace now that Cassie was safe beside them. It's a shame Cassie didn't feel the same. She was shouting at some of the medical staff, demanding that they let her speak to someone now, insisting that she had vital information for them.

Scott tried his best to calm her down, resting a hand on her arm and saying with as much quiet conviction as he could muster, "Relax, peanut. You can tell them later, now just rest and recover." Cassie took a few more shuddering breaths before turning to her father. 

"I need to tell them now, or the others are gonna suffer for it. Please. Let me talk to someone, I need to talk to.." 

"You can talk to me, Cassie," Maria Hill knelt next to her, having overheard the exchange from the cockpit, "I'll pass it on to whoever needs to know." Scott and Hope exchanged concerned glances, pondering for a moment before Scott turned to agent Hill and gave a somber nod. Maria smiled, turning to Cassie and taking out equipment to record the girl's statements. 

"He's moving them to his next warehouse, somewhere in Jersey on the coast. That's what I gathered at least. He's gonna keep going, moving down until only one of them is left. He won't kill them, that's not what he wants, but he'll make them suffer. He told me that himself. He said 'girl, I don't want to kill any of you. I hate killers, I will not be a killer.'" Cassie rambled on, her tone flat but clearly edged with nerves. 

"Did he tell you anything else about a motive? Why does he hate killers?" Hill kept her voice flat, urging Cassie on as gently as she could. 

"He says that the Avengers are killers. That they destroy more than he ever will." Scott winced hard, prompting Hope to rub his back gently. Cassie paused when she noticed this, eyes full of remorse. 

"What else?" Hill promptly filled the silence, the urgency of Cassie's message beginning to sink in. 

"He doesn't want to hurt us all psychically. Says it's exhausting." 

"Then why were Nathan and Cooper found injured? And you have blood on you, did he want to hurt you? Why did he say physically?" 

"Wait what? They were hurt?" Confused, Hill nodded, looking to Scott and Hope. Cassie took a breath and continued, gesturing to the blood on the suit. "As for the blood, it's not mine. He put me in that because he wanted to scare you." Now that really worried Hill. Clearly, this man's real goal was much more complex and psychological in nature than they thought. She took a moment to process before asking a new, different question. 

"Did he ever play mind games with you?" Cassie froze, blinked a few times, and nodded somberly. 

"For me, that's all he did." Cassie grew quiet after that, reaching out to her father's hand feebly. Scott took it, rubbing circles into her palm and whispering words of comfort. 

"May I ask one more question?" Hill was clearly feeling guilty for asking, but she needed to know, the mission could be at stake. Cassie straightened her back and looked the agent in the eyes, strength emanating from her. "Why did you say he lied?" Cassie huffed, leaning in to her father's shoulder, but pointedly avoiding eye contact with him. 

"Because I wasn't the one that was supposed to be released next. He told me it was going to be Morgan that could come home, in exchange for Peter and I staying with him. I agreed, that's what I wanted. But he lied. I should've known better." Scott took the chance to envelop Cassie in a hug, which she reciprocated enthusiastically. Hope and Maria left them to it, heading to the cockpit doors. 

"So what do we tell the others? They're going to ask what she had to say, what are we going to do, lie?" Hope didn't intend to sound as angry as she did, but thankfully Hill didn't seem offended. 

"We tell them the truth. It's not gonna be easy, and we're gonna have people angry at us, but in these situations sometimes there's no getting around it." Hill hung her head somberly, and Hope followed suit. They weren't sure how the next meeting would go, but they were prepared for a firestorm. 

Meanwhile, Cassie sat with her head on her dad's shoulder and her eyes half closed, enjoying the simple serenity that came with the presence of her father. She remembered nights when she was little, when she would dream of this. Just sitting and existing in the same space as her dad without having to talk through a phone and without a pane of glass between them. She remembered the celebrations and the milestones she wished he was there for, and yet, he wasn’t.

But now she was the one that was the prisoner, deprived of normalcy and deprived of her family, and that alone made his presence so much more soothing. She suddenly understood why he was so slow to leave her room after he tucked her in once he got out, why he was so close to her when he was finally free. As she thought, she drifted off to sleep on his shoulder, a new sense of understanding and safety falling between the Langs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten points to anyone who knows where I got the “I hate killers” thing from. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed! I love to hear your theories and thoughts!


	9. A Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie and Cooper reconnect, and the their conversation reveals more than the others were prepared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the update! This one's another doozy, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Cassie awoke as they touched down on base, alarmed at first before realizing where she was and quickly relaxing back into her dad's shoulder. He smirked, nudging her off playfully and throwing an arm around her. She let him help her up and walked mostly on her own to the doors to the medical wing. Doctors attempted to flood her, but she shook them off, claiming she was just tired and thirsty, and that she didn't need to take up their time. 

"Cassie, can at least give you a once-over? You've been through a lot, I want to make sure you're okay," Doctor Helen Cho asked kindly but persistently. Cassie continued to shake her off, instead heading down the hallways alone, completely ignoring the pleas of the doctors. 

"Peanut, where are you going?" Cassie stopped and clasped a hand around Scott's shoulder, her face serious. 

"Dad, I was stuck in a room for a couple of weeks, and I wasn't allowed to do anything on my own accord," Cassie snapped, startling her father. She noticed this, and toned down her voice as she continued, "I'm going to talk to Cooper Barton, and it's not because anyone told me to, it's because I need to know and now I can do that without asking anyone's permission." Scott gave a proud smile and a nod of approval. Cassie smiled, wide and true, and marched down the hallway to the Barton's room. Scott stood in place for a moment, a mixture of worry and pride flooding him when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. 

"You're just going to let her go? She needs to be looked over," Hope insisted, grabbing his attention. Scott laughed, a dopey grin spreading across his face. 

"Not right now. She just got home and she's.. Well she's on a mission. I can't help but be proud of her for that. We'll deal with the logistics later." Still concerned, but willing to give Scott what he wanted, Hope left with a smile, joining up with agent Hill to debrief on the mission. It was a few moments before Scott moved, heading to his own room.

Down the hall, Cassie began searching for the Barton room. She didn't care to talk to the hospital staff, for fear of further pressure to be examined, so she resorted to searching for herself. She made her way through the medical wing, which was almost too big for her liking, encountering rooms of a few very unlucky SHIELD agents, until she finally heard the hushed voice of Clint Barton at the end of the hallway. She couldn't exactly make out what he was saying, but she'd heard enough to know it was him, prompting her to come closer. Clint seemed to hear the girl coming closer, as he snapped his head toward her, his face morphing into shock. 

"Cassie?" He asked, moving toward her briskly. 

"Hey Clint. How're the boys?" Clint stopped then, smiling sadly. 

"They're uh.. They're good. It's good to have them home." 

"I hate to press, but could I talk to Cooper? I just.. I have some questions." Clint looked puzzled at first, but he eventually relented, smiling and gesturing back towards where he'd came from. Cassie quickly followed him, fidgeting and darting her eyes around as her nerves mounted. Clint opened a glass hospital door and pushed back the curtains to reveal Cooper, sitting up without visible injuries with his face suddenly contorted into shock. 

"Cassie? W..What? He wasn't supposed to.." Cooper was frozen, eyes locked on to Cassie's. In the moment, neither noticed the room empty around them. 

"I know. He double crossed us, no surprise there," Cassie laughed humorlessly and took a breath before continuing, "It's really good to see you, Barton." Cooper smiled and moved his legs, patting the bed in an invitation. Cassie sat down, resting a hand on Cooper's shoulder firmly and smirking. 

"I'm not saying it's not great to see you, it really is, but I thought it was going to be Morgan. Or at least, she'd be with you." Cassie smiled darkly, hanging her head. 

"That's what we all wanted. But you know how he works, you knew it wasn't going to be that easy." 

"But when I asked for Nathan to come with me he let him. That doesn't make any sense. Why would he.." 

"Because he didn't want to kill," Cooper guffawed at that statement, prompting a glare from Cassie, "I didn't see him for most of the time, but from what Lila and Peter told me, he wasn't looking good at the end.." 

"Understatement of the century." 

"What I'm saying is he was nearly going to die, and as sick as this guy is that's not what he wants. He was doing a sort of damage control." Clarity lit up Cooper's face. 

"So what you're saying is the fact that Morgan isn't back yet is a good thing. It might mean she's not hurt?" 

"Exactly. For right now, I'm just going to focus on that, and be thankful that we're okay. We'll worry about the others later." Cooper smiled sadly, whispering an affirmative and sending Cassie off. She left with a smile, sauntering to the hospital desk and asking where she could go next, where she could stat to enjoy her freedom. 

Meanwhile in the boardroom, you could cut the tension with a knife. Fury had watched the conversation unfold over the cameras in private, not wanting to overtly scare the parties involved or the families on the other end. Slowly and patiently, he made his way back to the boardroom, opening the door to the worried faces of Pepper, May and Tony. He breathed, sat at the head of the table, and shuffled his papers. 

"Well, we have a new lead," Hope crossed the faces in the room, the Starks squeezing each other's hands tightly and leaning into the table. "She's brought us good news, bad news, and, well, news that I can't really categorize. But none the less, Cassie knows quite a bit. You're gonna want to hear this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, some reveals! A long time coming, right? Anyways, let me know your thoughts, reactions and predictions!


	10. Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury briefs the families on the new evidence, and reactions are, well, as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Be warned, here be angst, but then again, this fic has plenty, so that might be a mute point. Regardless, enjoy!

"The good news is, Cassie thinks that the rest of them aren't in critical condition, if they're hurt at all," Fury deadpanned, his eyes glued to the papers in front of him. 

"Wait, what? I thought they were being held together?" Pepper chimed in, gripping Tony's hand silently. 

"We thought so too. She didn't seem to know much of anything about a reasoning for that either. The Bartons are still reluctant to talk about anything, no telling what they know." Fury took a long, measured pause, surveying the horrified faces carefully before continuing. "The bad news is, well, he's been able to not only trick us, but also his captives." Confusion fell on the faces in the room, prompting Fury to bear down and keep giving the report, "Cassie says she, Peter, and Lila made a deal, let Morgan go, and he can do with them what he pleases, but it fell through. He double crossed them." 

May gave a thick, tearful, humorless snicker from the couch on the director's left. His attention turned to her quickly, but she was simply leaning back on the couch, laughing softly between tears. The director could barely make out her murmurs of 'Of course,' as she stared at the ceiling. Everyone in the room quickly turned their attention to her, Fury even started to rise from his chair to check on her. 

"Mrs. Parker, are you.." 

"Yeah, yeah," May cut him off, her voice reminding Tony of his own after a few too many drinks, "I mean, you all know him, I shouldn't be surprised, right? He always is the one who has to be the hero, the one to sacrifice himself." May choked as Tony hid his face in his hands, vivid memories of the ferry parading through his head. He rubbed his temples roughly, willing himself to think about anything else. Pepper rested her hand on his back, rubbing slow circles in it and sighing as if she was trying to do the same. 

"It's not just him though, right Fury?" Laura Barton interrupted, her eyes teary but her face stoic, "Lila and Cassie were in on it, they were part of the deal.." 

"But it was his idea. Don't pretend you don't know it was his idea." May stared at the floor as she spoke, not noticing Laura's resigned nod in response. 

"This is my fault," Tony whispered, bitterness lacing his tone, "I made him think like this." May and Pepper stared at him blankly, Pepper landing her hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezing gently. Before anyone could correct him, Tony continued, "It's true. He always said that he wanted to do the hero thing because he wanted to be like me, and seeing as all he'd seen of me back then was almost dying for a greater good about a hundred times, he grew from a selfless kid to a self-sacrificing almost-adult because he thinks that's what a hero is. Because I made him think that that's what a hero is." Tearfully, May shook her head. 

"He was like that before he met you. He would do anything for the people he cares about, even almost stepped in front of a bullet for Ben," she trailed off at his name, smiling tearfully but fondly, "He always had those traits, you just gave him a chance to do something good with it." Tony laughed humorlessly.

"Sure, but he wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me." 

"If I may, Stark, he got his abilities without you. That makes him a HYDRA target regardless," Fury deadpanned, hoping to re-insert logic into the conversation. Tony stared at him, almost offended. 

"Well that's comforting of you to say." 

"My point was, you still give him a leg up. He'd either be a missing enhanced person that my team would probably end up looking for, or a missing enhanced person who earth's mightiest heroes are looking for." Both Tony and Clint scoffed at the last remark. Fury smirked, "Yeah, I knew that'd get something out of the two of you." 

"This all is nice, but it's not productive," Clint took advantage of the momentary silence to try and steer the conversation back on the right track, "What's our next move?" Fury sighed and began to rifle through the papers for an answer when the door suddenly burst open behind him. 

It was Scott, drenched in sweat and shaking, followed closely by a similarly distraught Hope. Everyone quickly stood, worry spreading across their faces. "Guys, Nathan and Cassie are gone." Clint and Laura's eyes dulled, Laura clasping a hand over her mouth. "They weren't abducted, though," Scott quickly reassured. Fury approached them, eyebrow raised in confusion. 

"How do you know?" 

"Because Nathan took all the guns and blades in the armory, and Cassie.." Scott gave a sarcastic, proud laugh, "Well..." Scott paused again, drawing a tiny container with the outline of a person etched in the middle. 

"Cassie stole my suit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What went down? What'd ya think? Thanks for reading, much love to y'all!


	11. Backup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan and Cassie have a plan, and the Avengers try desperately to find them and help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! This is more of a bridge chapter, next one is where things really hit the fan. Hope you enjoy regardless.

"Well where did they go?" Laura snapped, everyone standing and readying themselves to fight behind her. 

"I don't know," Scott took a breath and paused, pondering their next move. 

"Does your suit have a communication system? Can we maybe talk to her?" Tony's voice was remarkably calm as he glanced from Scott to Hope and back. They thought for a moment, until hope nodded, putting up her helmet. 

"Cassie? Cassie can you hear me?" The room fell silent as they listened intently to Hope's muffled speech. A moment passed, Hope listening hopefully to the static, praying that Cassie would pick up. Hope repeated the greeting once, twice, and then a third time, only greeted by static every time. Just as she prepared to take off her helmet and throw in the towel, she heard strange commotion, and then a muffled, yet recognizable word. 

"Shit." Hope immediately grinned, repeating the greeting with her smile evident in her voice. Cassie didn't seem to care much, only electing to respond with a flat "How mad is he? Or is he not-mad-just-dissapointed? I knew this was a bad idea..." 

"Cassie," Hope flat lined, looking to Scott with a playful smile, "He's not mad at all, in fact I think he's a little impressed." Scott blushed and smiled at those words. Cassie let out a pleased giggle, and Hope started to hear shifting from Cassie's end of the microphone. 

"Sorry this was a surprise. We didn't mean to scare you." 

"We're not mad, we just don't want you two going in without backup. How can we help you guys?" 

"Don't." Hope gasped involuntarily. "I'm sorry, but you guys.. spook him. He wouldn't see us coming, and if he did, he'd underestimate us. We're planning on using that to our advantage." 

"What if we sent a strike team. A small one, stationed way out of his sight range, as a precaution." Cassie sighed, more shuffling coming from her end of the mic. "Cassie, faster response is key to making sure any injured people get out, okay?" Cassie took a long pause. 

"Fine. But no more than three people and make it way out of sight. I really don't want any complications. I'm sending my coordinates to Fury now." Hope gave a nod and signed off, sighing to the rest of the team. Fury wasted no time in pulling up the coordinates, quickly drawing the attention of all in the room. 

"Did you hear what she said?" Hope asked, drawing a chorus of mixed responses. She sighed, gesturing to Tony and Clint to come follow her. Confused, but ready, the two obeyed, stopping with her in a hallway. "We're forming a team to go get them. Tony, you can stay out of sight and perform areal survailance, Clint, stay back and snipe. Scott and I can infiltrate if need be." 

"Didn't she say three?" Scott responded, gently resting a hand on Hope's arm. Hope laughed curtly. 

"If that man can see both of us, we're going to need more backup regardless." Scott nodded, humming in newly informed agreement as they formed up to head to the site. 

That was the single longest plane ride of any of their lives. No one spoke, no one even interacted. Instead, everyone took the opportunity to refine their weapons, check their systems, and ready themselves for what might be the most important mission of their lives. They soon touched down on a grassy hill overlooking an abandoned business district punctuated by a tall, thin building, windows blown out, the building that Cassie had sent the coordinated for. A treeline sat back a few feet from their landing site, serving as great cover for Clint, and the sky was clouded and grey, meaning Tony could slip above unnoticed. Scott and Hope suited up, Scott having borrowed an early pro type from Hank (Hope lovingly called it the martian suit) and began to listen for Cassie's word. 

There was silence for a while, the two prepared to shrink and fly in at a moments notice. Tony was evidently seeing nothing, same went for Barton, but something felt wrong. Like something awful was happening. Something that Scott and Hope needed to see. But Scott trusted his daughter, knew she would report when she needed them. Thus, they sat back and waited, slowly getting lulled into the security the silence brought. 

Until from the other end of the microphone, Scott and Hope heard an unearthly, blood-curdling scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. Kinda. Let me know what you think, I love to read you thoughts!


	12. A Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers finally manage to rescue the kids, and all is well, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Hopefully this chapter is as cathartic to read as I found it to write, and I hope you enjoy.

The team mobilized faster than anyone could process, Tony descending on the site, Clint moving in swiftly, and Scott and Hope shrinking and heading to the building without a moment's hesitation. Tony got there first, hovering outside of the building and looking for an open window, hole, any way he could get in undetected. He eventually found a large hole in the wall on the second floor, perfectly positioned to allow him to sneak in. 

"Guys, I'm going in. Let me know when you're on my position," Tony stated in a hushed tone, careful to keep a low profile. He received several firm, but scared affirmatives from the other end of the line. For a moment, Tony debated just making the grand entrance he was known for. He could just crash down, blast the guy all to hell, grab the kids and leave, emerging the hero, like he was used to. He stopped himself, waiting in the shadows instead. The momentary glory, the momentary frenzy wasn't worth the costs. It wasn't worth his kids' lives. Silently, he continued in the shadow's silently cursing any noise the mechanisms in his suit made. 

"Get him down!" A young female voice shouted, breaking the oppressive silence of the building. He immediately followed it, making his way to the source, repulsors up and ready for a fight. He made his way down several hallways, weaving into room after room until he reached the door the voices seemed to come from. It was large and imposing, made entirely of metal, and visibly chained shut. Thinking quickly, he began to cut through the door, trying hard to keep his hand steady while he cut through the lock. 

He was nearly finished when he heard a gunshot. His hand shot up to a defensive position subconsciously, dragging the laser up with it. Though it was the wrong direction, the metal was nearly cut through, and the surge of heat made it weak enough to push through. When he breached the door, he was greeted with the strangest, most unforgettable scene he'd ever witnessed. 

Near his feet laid a corpse of a man he did not recognize, sprawled out with his arms reaching toward the door. The man had a large bullet hole in his head, evidently from the gun that a tall, muscular young woman wearing an air force jumpsuit with the name 'Rambeau' emblazoned on it was pointing at the man, and by proxy, at Tony. Behind them, the two eldest Bartons, along with Cassie, were going through documents ravenously, Lila holding what could only be described as a ramshackle lock pick. 

What really stood out to Tony, though, was what was happening in the center of the room. A bloodied figure was tied to a pole in the center of the room, moving only in rapid, intermittent twitches. The mop of bloodied brown curls hanging in front of the figure's face confirmed his suspicions. It was Peter, alive, but injured. Though that throught horrified him, he was quickly calmed by the other two people standing nearby, one figure in a suit similar to his helping to untie Peter (Harley or Pepper, Tony thought, a win either way) and a little girl, clinging to Peter's leg with tear in her eyes. 

The woman with the gun aimed it at the floor, smiled and gestured Tony to the room, "Good to see you Mister Stark. I'll take care of him, you go get the rest of them." Tony smiled, slightly confused as to the identity of the woman, but thankful none the less. He ran to Morgan, dropping to his knees and retracting his suit to let his daughter see his face.

"Daddy!" Morgan yelled, detaching from Peter and sprinting into her father's arms. Tony embraced her tightly, whispering soft comforts to her and savoring the moment the best he could. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony noticed the figure helping Peter took of his face plate, revealing a smiling Harley. 

"Would you give me a hand, Tony?" He gestured to Peter's restraints, still tightly fixed to the boy's ankles. Tony nodded, and, Morgan in hand, began to untie Peter. 

"Guys, hostiles neutralized. Come on in and help me get these kids out," Tony radioed to the team, picking Peter's cuffs gently to avoid further hurting the boy. From behind him, Tony noticed more friendly voices enter the room, a very revealed Clint, and a very impressed Scott reuniting peacefully in the background. He didn't focus on that, electing to continue fighting with Peter's restraints until one of them got loose. Peter fell immediately, collapsing in a heap into Tony's arms. Morgan moved out of the way, still gripping her dad's hand tightly as Tony shifted his attention to Peter. He closed his free arm around the boy, smiling tearfully when he subconsciously nuzzled in to the warmth of Tony's chest. 

"Can he walk?" Harley asked, approaching the others slowly. Tony shook his head. 

"Probably not. I'll take him," Tony turned his attention to his daughter, and gave a calming smile, "Maguna, would you go with Harley for me? He's gonna help us get home." Morgan hesitantly nodded, taking Harley's hand reluctantly. "Hey. I'm gonna be right here. I just need to help out Pete, alright?" Morgan nodded again, bravery filling her eyes. Tony smiled proudly, turning to gesture the team out and to the waiting transports Barton had called. 

As Tony took Peter out of the room and to the light of the vehicles, it felt pretty close to a happy ending. Like riding off into the sunset, and never looking back. But there was still something disquieted within Tony, a question that he needed answered before he could have peace. 

What in the hell happened here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, and you're welcome. What are your thoughts? Reactions? Feel free to yell at me or ask me stuff!


	13. The Debreifing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue team gives the report on what happened to the families.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's been a minute, but hey, it's here! This one's a little dialogue heavy, but we got some gaps filled in. Hope you like it!

"Okay, so lets make this as easy as we can," Fury stated blankly, looking over the line of teens that stood before the room of parents,"Start at the beginning, all the way to when Stark got there. Cassie, considering how eager you were to partake in this, why don't you go first." Cassie chuckled lightly, quickly quieting when she saw Fury glare at her. 

"So Cooper and I realized while we were talking that it would be better for the two of us to go after them instead of all of you. We know his habits better, and we can come in a little quieter than you all."A few of the team members sneered, earning a glare from Fury, "Anyway, we realized pretty quickly we couldn't do it alone, or without the proper equipment, so I decided to do the only thing that made sense." 

"Steal from some of the highest profile people in the world?" Fury questioned, his tone a combination of accusation and jest. Cassie gave the most smug grin he'd ever seen. 

"Yup," She gloated, popping the p, "and the kids are home safe because of it. Any more questions?" Scott knew he should probably speak to her about the rebuttal, or at least show he didn't approve, but in all honesty, he was too impressed to care. Cassie sighed, calming herself, before continuing, "So I got my dad's suit, some weapons for Cooper, and one of Tony's old prototypes, while Cooper sent out the call."

"That's where we come in," Monica Rambeau interrupted, gesturing to Harley, "For me, I was on base nearby, so I just requested the day off, which by some miracle my CO agreed to, suited up and headed out to meet them there." 

"Wait, CO?" Carol inquired, pride oozing from her statement. 

"Mom didn't tell you? I've been in for a couple of years now." Carol beamed, smirking as Fury gestured for the kids to continue. Monica tapped Harley's shoulder gesturing for him to speak 

"Alright. Well, I got a text from an unknown number that said it was about helping Morgan and Peter. I thought it was a trap, so I called Cass and she confirmed that it was legit, and she had a suit for me. So I drove." 

"No questions asked?" Fury chimed in. 

"Nope. I trust Cassie, and considering what was at stake I thought waiting would be the worst possible move at that point." Fury nodded, understanding sweeping over the faces in the room. 

"Wait, I have a question," Clint asked, posture a touch defensive, "How did you know where he'd be?" 

"I told them," Lila Barton announced, shooting her father a confident glance, "With Peter's help I was able to get into his computer. For as smart as he was, it wasn't very well guarded. Regardless, I found a way to contact Cooper, and send him the coordinates, right down to where they should enter." Clint marveled at the statement, beaming with pride, but Fury needed more. 

"Why did Peter not just do it himself?" 

"Because he was hurt. He acted out and the dude hated him for it," Lila took a measured pause, "When he was around, I played dumb, innocent. That meant he didn't suspect me to do anything to fight back." She shrugged, lips forming into a mischievous smirk and slyly high-fiving a beaming Cassie, "Guess the jokes on him." 

"Okay, this was all well and good, but what the hell went down when you guys got there?" Tony snapped from the edge of the room. Monica stepped forward a bit, gesturing fondly to Tony. 

"Well it's not that complicated," she said, her hand forming a two-fingered point and shifting behind her, slowly drifting from person to person as she spoke, "Lila distracted him, allowing for Cassie to grow and scare him back, leading him to fumble toward the door you came in. He didn't even notice Harley and I enter from the other side, Harley to help the injured, and myself to.. well.." she uttered a dry, battle-worn chuckle, "take care of business." The room stared at her with glances of pride and mild fear, the only exception being Tony, who was visibly and deeply confused. 

"So you're telling me you brought a handgun, and expected it to do the trick? Just like that, no further questions?" 

"Actually yeah," Cooper chimed in, glancing to Cassie before he spoke, "Cassie and I knew him. We knew what his motives were, and we knew he was human. Fully human. It'd just slow us down to bring artillery we didn't need." Tony's face turned contemplative, nodding at Cooper's assertion. "Is that all for now, I'd like to have a moment to celebrate having my sister back." Cooper asserted, earning a snarky glare from Lila. Fury looked around, silently checking in with the families. After what felt like approval, he nodded to the kids softly. 

"I suppose you are all dismissed for the moment. There's more we need to know, though, be ready for additional questioning. The group nodded, returning to their families with hugs, laughs, and well earned smiles, finally taking a moment to relax. 

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, a young nurse was changing the bandages on a still comatose Nathaniel. She worked methodically, talking to the unconscious boy as if he was awake out of habit. She explained softly that she was going to be turning him over to change the dressings on his back, and she did so, humming softly as she did with any other patient, on any other day. 

It was then that things got strange. She was changing the dressings, slowly unwrapping the new gauze when she heard what sounded like words. She couldn't make them out, not clearly, but she was certain she heard someone say something. The room was empty aside from her, and no other patients or staff were in that wing at the moment. She shook it off, chalking it up to lack of sleep and a need for coffee. Until she heard it again. Louder this time, and it sounded like the word 'who.' Now she was sure, there was something up. On a hunch, she knelt down to the boys face, and to her utter shock, she was met with his open, tear-filled eyes, and his soft, scared voice whispering in a hushed tone. 

"Who...a...are..you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, I'm back on my cliffhanger BS. Whoops. Anyway, thanks for reading, and as always, let me know your thoughts!


	14. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan is awake, and he and his siblings have some things to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short little update full of h/c and fluff! 
> 
> Warning, this chapter discusses a bit of the torture that happened while in the man's custody. Nothing graphic, but please be safe!

Clint and Laura were at Nathan's bedside within minutes, taking his hand and providing a sense of comfort for the shaken, confused boy. He was floaty, disoriented, and nonverbal for the most part, clearly affected by the drugs in his system. There was a long, quiet wait for a moment, Nathan simply too overwhelmed to comprehend his safety. Clint and Laura didn't mind, simply taking the chance to talk to him softly, providing some form of comfort. 

"Dad?" Lila asked, ducking into the room carefully

"Come in Lil, he's okay," Clint said softly, gesturing her inside. Lila nodded, heading in carefully,trailed by her much more jumpy brother. When Cooper entered the room, Nathan's eyes got wide, immediately locking on to his older brother. Cooper noticed quickly, smiling and heading closer to the bed. 

"Hey Nate, good morning bud," Cooper cooed, a wide, relieved smile crossing his face. Nathan teared up, reaching for Cooper feebly, like he did when he was an infant. The sight hit Clint somewhere deep in his gut, stepping back and grasping Laura's hand firmly. Laura, tears in her eyes, turned to him and gave a tight squeeze in return. 

"H...ey.. Cooper," Nathan rasped, squeezing his brother's hand weakly. Tears shined on Cooper's face, rubbing his brother's hand softly as he looked back to his parents. Clint and Laura beamed sadly at the boys, keeping their distance for the moment. Cooper whispered something Clint couldn't hear into his brother's ear, drawing a glance from Lila, and more tears from Nathan. 

"Can you talk to us bud?" Lila whispered, a kind, soothing look on her face. Nathan gulped and nodded, slowly and gently turning to his parents. 

"Cooper wants to tell you something." 

"What?" Cooper almost yelled, staring at his brother. They whispered back and forth for a while, all below the level that Clint or Laura could hear. Finally, Cooper took a deep, slow breath and began, his words measured and careful. 

"When we were... There, that man would make us play games, experiments, he called them, all about 'human nature.' He'd make us make choices." Clint felt sick, in shock as Cooper began to shake. Silently, he moved next to his son, gently resting a hand on his back. "He'd make the three of us choose; three times as many blows for us, or just a few for Nathan." Lila stilled, hanging her head and crying silently. Laura slipped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder softly. Cooper was frozen again, unable to continue now that vivid, awful memories were taking the forefront. Reluctantly, Lila filled the silence. 

"Of course we wanted to spare him. We chose ourselves, but Nathan had to go and make things hard on himself," She said lightly, playfully rubbing the little boy's shoulder. Nathan shot her a wide smile, helping to mend her heart a little. "He wouldn't let go of us, so he got some of it too. He was trying to protect us," Lila said darkly, leaning into her mother. 

"Didn't want to see him hurt you," Nathan whispered, leaning his head into Cooper's hand. His family hushed him, all whispering gentle words of comfort to the boy and in part, to each other. Though many words were said in that moment, only one phrase really mattered. 

"You are safe. We're all together now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending a chapter on a good note? In this fic? It's more likely than you think! Thanks for reading and supporting, keep the feedback coming!


	15. The Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is ready to talk to the team about his ordeal, and it's not an easy time for anyone involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while, but here's an update! Irondad ahead, so please enjoy!

Peter was sitting up for the first time since he was rescued, smiling at his aunt and looking around the room with much more focused eyes than anyone was expecting from him at this stage. May had her hand on his back, rubbing soft circle in it occasionally as they caught up, an awkward air hanging over the room. "May," Peter almost whispered, staring at her tearfully, "I have to tell them what he did." Sympathy flooded May's face. 

"Sweetie, are you sure? There's no pressure, the man's dead. They don't need you to testify or anything." Peter glanced down at the bed, sadly smiling. 

"I know... Look I know you're trying to protect me, and I get it, but they deserve to know. I need to get this out there." May reluctantly nodded, pressing the call button. Within moments, a nurse was in the room, looking a bit concerned. 

"Sorry to scare you, but we need Tony and the team." The nurse, biting back a glare, nodded dutifully and rushed out of the room. Peter's breathing got a bit uneven, drawing May's attention back to him. "Hey, Pete, if you get uncomfortable, you know you can stop. Mr. Stark will understand." Peter smiled, nodding rapidly as he continued to bite back tears. 

When the team arrived, everything slowed down and kicked into overdrive all at once. There were agents, Avengers, and concerned doctors rushing in and out of Peter's room faster than he could keep track, but when Tony Stark entered, it felt like time stopped. The people in the room suddenly parted to allow him to get to the bed, going almost too quiet as he approached the only recently conscious hero. He rested a firm hand on Peter's shoulder, rubbing it a bit and sighing. 

"You sure you wanna do this kid?" Tony murmured, raising his eyebrows. Peter smirked at him, conviction in his eyes. Tony smiled deeply at that,, drawing back a bit. "Okay. What do you want to tell us about what went down?" Peter didn't miss the billionaire's odd phrasing, but he sighed, looked at the ceiling and began to tell his story.

"He would play games with us. I'm sure the others told you that, but it's true. And I think... I think he liked me? Well, he liked to play the games with me, he thought I was more interesting than the others." Tony shot an odd glance at Peter. 

"Did he tell you why?" Tony wasn't exactly comfortable asking the question, but he had to know. Why would someone do this to Peter? 

"Because I cared. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt, so I let him do what he wanted," He turned his head directly to Tony, eyes pleading with him to understand, "It was me or Morgan, Mister Stark. That's not a difficult choice." Tony fell completely silent. The kid wasn't wrong. He wanted to reassure Peter, tell him he didn't have to suffer for as long as he did, but he did it to protect a little girl. Tony's little girl. And maybe it was the savior complex talking, but it was logic he couldn't argue with. So he responded with the only thing he could think of. 

"Thank you." Everyone in the room seemed to be taken aback by Tony's response, including Peter. 

"I.. What?" 

"I said thank you. Without you being your amazing, reckless, self-sacrificing self I could've lost my kid," Tony took a deep, measured breath, "But you need to remember to take care of yourself. Peter, I'm thankful for what you did for Morgan, I do, but I can't imagine losing both of my kids, okay?" Peter froze, taking in what Tony had just said. There was along moment of silence, only punctuated by the soft footsteps of people leaving the room, suddenly feeling like they were intruding. 

"Is that how you think of me Mister Stark?" Tony beamed, playfully running a hand through his hair. 

"Of course I do. Look kid, Pep always says I'm bad at expressing it, but I care about you, kid." Peter blushed, tears forming in his eyes. "None of that, kid, okay?" Tony whispered, pulling him into a hug. May joined in, slowly stroking Peter's hair. 

Everything would change after the incident, that was certain, but for right now, Peter clung to two people that cared about him, regardless of what happened in the past. And that, that was what meant everything to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're coming down the homestretch with this one, so tell me what you think! What's gonna happen next?

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are hugely motivating for me, so please let me know what you think, and where you think it's going!


End file.
